Netflix Game Show Renewed for Season 2

Netflix has ordered another season of its hit game-show series Floor is Lava. Variety reports the show’s host Rutledge Wood will make his return in the same capacity for Season 2 of the show, whose success matched that of Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle. The series is a play on the popular children’s game that puts a group of contestants through a rigorous obstacle course. All the while, they must try to stay out of the imaginary lava as they try to get to the other side of each room.

The show originally premiered on Netflix in June 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic took over the U.S. and pushed people into their homes –– which worked out well for the new show. The streamer reports Floor is Lava reached 37 million Netflix member households in its first four weeks on the streaming platform.

Arthur Smith, Frank Sinton, Caroline Baumgard and Anthony Storm serve as executive producers for A. Smith & Co. Productions alongside Anthony Carbone, who also serves as showrunner. Additionally, Irad Eyal and Megan McGrath for Haymaker (West) will also executive produce. Brandon Riegg, who supervises Netflix’s nonfiction series and comedy specials, greenlit Floor Is Lava.

When asked why he thinks the show became so popular, co-creator Irad Eyal told the Hollywood Reporter,“It’s this sort of perfect nostalgia. You can go back to a time when you played a simple game we all played. Yes, it’s a little crazier, and it’s a little wilder, and it’s a little slapstick, but I think it does take you back to a simpler time, which I think we all need right now.”

The news comes after Netflix revealed it is on track to spend $17 billion on content in fiscal 2021 –– a significant change from last year’s $11.8 billion. In 2019, the company spent $13.9 billion on content in 2019. Netflix has also reportedly been beefing up its internal executive roster. In December, the company added Disney Plus nonfiction originals veteran Dan Silver, who stepped into the role of director of documentary feature films under Netflix VP of indie film and documentary Lisa Nishimura. In addition, some changes were also made to its India division over the last two years.